www.newrivervalley.com

The Mental Health Association of the New River Valley will get $15,000 of a $750,000 grant awarded recently to the Virginia Association of Free Clinics.

The grant, given by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its charitable foundation, was established to help meet the needs of uninsured Virginians. Current estimates are that more than 1 million people in the state, or 13 percent of the population, do not have health insurance. The 2005 U.S. Census found 952,000 uninsured adults and 156,000 uninsured children in Virginia.

Patrick Halpern, executive director of the Blacksburg-based mental health agency, said the grant would be used to support the association's Pro Bono Counseling Program, a free mental health clinic for people who meet guidelines. To honor a requisite of the award, he said his organization would track referrals of patients' children to the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan, Virginia's health program for children younger than 18.

"Anthem is interested in how many individuals are referred by their grantees to FAMIS," Halpern noted.

With the continued economic sluggishness, Halpern said demand for medical and mental health services has increased across the state. The shootings at Virginia Tech last year also put a strain on the Mental Health Association of the New River Valley.

"This has been a particularly difficult year in the New River Valley, and we have witnessed a significant increase in the number of requests for our clinic's services," he said, adding that the grant will help provide mental health care for local people without insurance.

The association is one of 50 member clinics in the Virginia Association of Free Clinics, according to the nonprofit's Web site. With 61 sites serving 114 cities and counties, the organization notes that Virginia ranks second among all states in the number of free clinics it offers for low-income, uninsured and under-insured residents.

Founded in 1993, the Virginia association also touts itself as the oldest free clinic association in the country.

For more information, visit vafreeclinics.org. To find out about the local Pro Bono Counseling Program, call 951-4990.